Rise of the Phoenix
by hogwartsmockingjaysilvertounge
Summary: A new hero is formed with the Batman, and she is holding her own against the villains in Gotham. But she has a mysterious past, and it will take all of her strength to put it behind her. I suck at summaries, please read! First Fanfic!
1. Chapter 1

AN: Okay, hello! A quick note: I am featuring Starkid in this heavily, so if you don't know what it is, you might not get bits of it. Basically, it's a theater company in Chicago, and they did a batman parody musical. Check out their YouTube channel, starkidpotter  
Scroll to Holy Musical B man act 1 part 1.  
It's hilarious. I'm borrowing Sweet Tooth (who is a villain in the parody) for this, Partly because I really couldn't see Charlotte (that's the main character) being the way she is with anybody else. Even though I'm using ST, Joker isn't dead. Sorry I'm being vague with this, but you haven't read the story yet. Enjoy!  
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman, or Starkid, or anything else that you recognize. Honestly, if I did, this would be a comic and a musical. Haters gonna hate

Chapter 1: Unexpected Assignment

"Master Richard, Master Bruce has required your presence in the Batcave immediately, sir." Alfred said, as Dick Greyson looked up from his laptop.  
"Ok, tell him I'll be down in a bit, have to be decent first." he said, gesturing to his undershirt and shorts.  
"Alright, but be quick about it, sir. He sounded most agitated." Alfred said, exiting the room and closing the door softly. Dick turned back to his laptop, checking the time. 11:45. So much for lunch, he thought, closing the Internet and rubbing his growling stomach. He quickly dressed in his Robin outfit, and raced to the Batcave, absentmindedly humming "Back To Hogwarts" (AN: yes, I made Dick a starkid, you'll see why later) as he ran. He entered the Batcave, and walked over to where Batman was sitting, in front of his computers.  
"So what's the emergency, Bruce?" asked Robin, and Batman pulled up a picture of Sweet Tooth, Candy, and a girl of about 16 or 17. "Who's she?" he asked.  
"Sweet Tooth's Daughter. Her name is Charlotte Orion." Batman replied shortly.  
"Does she work with him?" asked Robin, and Batman shook his head. Robin looked at the girl again, taking in her shoulder length brown hair, light green eyes, and pretty smile.  
"What are we going to do about it?" asked Robin, and Batman stood up, causing the wheeled chair to go spinning away from the computer.  
"You are going to go to her residence, and see if you can find anything else about her. Is she evil? Does she even know her father does these things? Can we trust her?" Batman said, as Robin raised his eyebrows.  
"So I'm spying on her?" He asked, and Batman gave a short nod. Robin sighed.  
"Use the record function in your mask to take a video, and I will live-feed it back here, where I will stay in touch through com-link. Be careful." He said, Batman's voice softening at the last sentence.  
"Ok Bats, no need to get your cape in a knot. I'm going." Robin said, smiling at his mentor. He jumped on his motorbike and sped down the tunnel, exiting the the Batcave with a vroom. Bruce Wayne put the earpiece in his ear, catching the end of Robin's sentence.  
"-sting, Testing, Batman to Robin. This thing on?" he asked, and Bruce smiled.  
"Yep. Broadcasting loud and clear. We have eyes and ears." he said, looking at the video from Robin's mask. "I'm going to send the coordinates to your bike." said Batman, typing said coordinates and sending them.  
"Thanks. How long of a drive?" asked Robin, checking his watch.  
"About ten minutes." said Batman, and Robin drove happily, going around corners too fast as to feel the bike go almost horizontal.

About 10 minutes later, Robin pulled up to a normal-looking suburban house.  
"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked Robin.

AN: Yep, Charlotte is Sweet Tooth's daughter. I am trying as I write the next few chapters, to not make Charlotte a Mary Sue. She is in part, me, sharing my interests and personality quirks, but she is also Candy's daughter. It's just you have to love your main characters, if i didn't, where would the story go? Anyway, Candy, I have decided, isn't as much evil as lovestruck. She would do anything for her ST, and the only thing she requested and was firm about, is Charlotte having a normal upbringing. So Sweet Tooth has to hide his villainy, and they have to look relatively normal. That's just an explanation, so yeah. Review!

-HMST


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Dancing With Cleaning Supplies

AN: so here is the second chapter. If you don't know team starkid or Darren Criss then you will be mildly confused about this chapter. But that doesn't mean that you can't read it! Continue!

Disclaimer: See chapter one. I ain't gonna repeat moiself just cuz you didn't listen the first time.

"Are you sure this the right place?" Asked Robin, staring at the house incredulously, his bright blue eyes observing the dark cedar wood, the flourishing garden, and the porch swing.  
"Yes, this is the place. Now hide the bike and get on the roof. I think there might be skylights up there." said Batman, and Robin complied, sticking the bike in a large hedge and grappling up on the roof. Batman was right about skylights. There were three. But they were covered with curtains, so they were useless. Robin looked around, and discovered a back deck. He dropped down, and saw there was a window and a glass door. He carefully peeked into the window, and saw a woman and Charlotte talking.  
"Now sweetheart," said the woman, and Robin gasped.  
"That's Candy! She looks so normal!" he exclaimed softly, looking at her. She was wearing her now-blonde hair in those ridiculous pigtails, and was wearing a pink blouse and a blue skirt.  
"Now sweetheart, I'm going to work. Can you sweep and mop the kitchen please, the cat hair is getting out of control. Also, don't forget to practice for your gymnastics class tomorrow! You'll want to impress people!" she said in that annoying high voice.  
"Ok mum." said Charlotte. Her voice was soft and musical, like chimes in a light breeze. Candy left, blowing Charlotte a kiss. As soon as she pulled out of the driveway, Charlotte pulled her phone out of her pocket, tapped the screen a few times, and then Human by Darren Criss started playing.  
"No way..." Robin breathed, his heart quickening. Either she was a gleek, or she was a starkid. Robin sincerely hoped the latter. Charlotte grabbed a broom out of the closet, leaned it against the wall, and put all the chairs on top of the table. She started sweeping, as the acoustic awesomeness that is DC went on in the background. Charlotte hummed along, waltzing around the room with the broom.  
"Is she dancing with a broom?" asked Batman, laughter slightly evident in his voice.  
"Shuddup Bats. Darren Criss is amazing." said Robin, and Batman scoffed. She quickly swept up all of the dust and such, and in the trash it went. She got a swiffer mop out of the same closet, and started mopping from the back corner where Robin was peeking in. The song ended, and Charlotte paused, seeing what was coming next. It was Granger Danger, S.P.A.C.E tour  
(AN: SPACE stands for Starkid Precarious Auditory Concert Experience)  
style.  
"Yes!" Robin exclaimed, doing a mild fist pump.  
"What the hell was that for? And what is this song?" asked Batman.  
"That was the sound of me being silly, because this girl shares the same interests as me. Also, this song is called Granger Danger, by Team starkid, a theatre company based in Chicago. This song was in their most famous musical, A Very Potter Musical. The reason that there are people screaming in the background is because this was on their nationwide tour. I couldn't go because they didn't come to Gotham. Otherwise, I would have." Robin said, grinning like an idiot. Charlotte was singing along now, and her voice was beautiful.  
"Here I am, face to face, with a situation I never thought I'd ever see. How a dress could make a mess, and make her nothing less than, beautiful to me. It seems like my eyes have been transfigured, something deep inside has changed, they've been open wide, but hold that trigger, this could mean, Danger!" Charlotte sang along enthusiastically, inventing harmonies and dancing with the mop across the wet floor.  
"You have no idea how hard it is not to sing along." Robin said, grinning like an idiot. Batman shook his head. Teenagers.  
Charlotte soon finished mopping, and the song changed again. Kick it up a notch, from the Starship album.  
"Awesome, she's seen that." said Robin. Charlotte started dancing. She was a very good dancer, her small frame twisting and leaping across the damp floor, showing incredible flexibility and proving what Candy said about her gymnastics. She danced around the kitchen, and Robin looked on in shock.  
"Batman, you seeing this?" he asked, and Batman sighed and said,  
"Yes. She either has no knowledge about her father and mother's actions, or she is insane and shows no guilt at all."  
The song came to an end, and then No way started playing. Charlotte sang along, opening the fridge. She rummaged around, finding a carton of Grape tomatoes. (you know, like the little ones.) She popped a few in her mouth and picked up her phone, walking out of the kitchen and down some stairs.  
"Quick I think there might be a window on the side of the house!" said Batman, and Robin made his way open to said window. Charlotte changed out the laundry, taking a basket upstairs. Robin used the x-ray vision feature on his mask, and saw that she was heading up towards the master bedroom. He saw there were windows, so he scrambled over to the window. Charlotte sat on the bed, next to a small grey cat. She petted it, and started working on folding. When she was finished, she took the basket and made her way out of the room. But just as she was about 10 feet from the door, she tripped over a large fold in the carpet. To her and Robin's surprise, the carpet flipped back, revealing a trapdoor.  
"What the heck?" she said, trailing off as she noticed the trapdoor.  
"Release a bat or two." said Batman, and Robin opened a patch on his utility belt, filled to the brim with what looked like miniscule bats, but in reality, they were tiny cameras that could fly. It was the latest gadget that Bruce invented, and Robin thought they were extremely cool. Batman synced a few of them with his monitor, and they flew towards the trapdoor. The trapdoor revealed a vertical tunnel with a ladder, which Charlotte was slowly climbing down, looking scared and intrigued. Batman navigated the bats past the teenager, and entered on a large chamber. What he saw was horrifying.

-

AN: haha I know, I am a despicable human being. Cliffhangers! God I love 'em. Anyway, yes, this is an eventual RobinxOC. Review!

-HMST


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Secrets Uncovered

AN: YAYZ! Chapter 3! Exciting!

Disclaimer: I'm still not repeating myself...

Charlotte was confused. Apparently her parents had a secret trapdoor in their bedroom. She, being inquisitive, had ignored all instincts to pretend it never happened and walk away, and was climbing down a ladder into God-knows-where. She reached the end of the ladder, and stepped off. Charlotte turned around, and gasped.  
There was an entire corridor here, filled with evil machines and guns, but the worst bit was at the very end of the room, in the corner, there was a man handcuffed to the wall. He wasn't moving. She didn't even think he was alive. She saw a sign on the wall next to the tunnel. It read:

Candy & Sweet Tooth's lair! If you ain't me or ST, then get out!

Charlotte brought her hand to her chest, and reeled back, eventually hitting the opposite wall. She slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, next to blueprints to what looked like a giant fireball cannon (the candy, not a ball of fire)  
Her father was a supervillain? Her mother too? It all made sense now. She was under the impression her father was CEO of a candy company. She thought her mother worked at Dairy Queen! How could she have been so stupid? Her thoughts continued trailing around this mixture of disgust, horror, and sadness. Eventually, she started to hyperventilate and passed out.

Batman watched the whole thing from the bat, and sighed.  
"Robin, you need to get in there. Charlotte has passed out, and who knows what state she'll be in when she wakes up." Batman said, rubbing his temples. Poor girl. She had no idea.  
Robin was bored. He, not having access to the bat video, was left waiting on the windowsill. When batman contacted him, he jumped, and immediately opened the window. He slid down the ladder, and looked at the lair. He gave an impressed whistle, and his eyes fell across Charlotte. Her legs were curled against her chest, making her look tiny. Well, tinier. Charlotte was very short, only about five feet tall. She was very pretty, he thought, as he picked her up and slowly hefted her up the ladder. He left the trapdoor open. Candy and Sweet Tooth would assume that she saw the lair and ran away. He sighed,and she stirred.  
"Are you Robin?" she asked, her eyes wide, looking at the Boy Wonder.  
"Yes. Are you Charlotte?" Robin said, and Charlotte nodded.  
"Good. Go back to sleep, I will get you somewhere safe." he said, patting her arm. She smiled softly, and was unconscious again. Robin exited the house through the back door. He put her on the bike, and got on himself. He sped all the way back to the Batcave, where Bruce was waiting.  
"She still unconscious?" he asked, as Robin laid her down on a bed in a corner of the Batcave.  
"Yep. Stirred a bit as we were leaving the house, but seemed a bit out of it." Robin said, and Bruce nodded. She stirred, and Bruce slipped his cowl on.  
"Ugh... Where am I?" she groaned putting a hand to her forehead, eyes still closed.  
"The Batcave." Batman said, and Charlotte jolted upright, eyes flying open to observe the scene around her. She saw Batman, standing at the end of the bed, and a concerned-looking Robin by her side.

-

AN: lookie here, another chapter finished! Sorry this one's a bit short. Anyway, review!

-HMST


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Decisions in the Batcave

AN: Chapter 4! Awesome! Yaaaaayyz! I so excited. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'm not going to be funny. I don't own ANYTHING except Charlotte.

-

"I understand the information just revealed to you about your parents might be traumatic, but we need to work out what to do. You are faced with a choice. You either are with your parents, doing evil, or against them, doing good." Batman said, his gravelly voice serious. Charlotte sighed.  
"I understand that I can't be normal anymore, not with what I know. I probably will never be able to look my mother in the eye without seeing Candy, or my father without seeing Sweet Tooth. I really don't know what to think of this. I need a bit to decide." she said, her voice quiet. Robin looked at her with admiration. She had just woken up from a panic attack, and she makes an impressive speech. However, she looked extremely conflicted.  
Batman nodded.  
"Stay here. We need to analyze the footage from Sweet Tooth's lair. I will send Alfred over." he said, and the Dynamic Duo went over to the computers. Charlotte was awed by the sheer size of the Batcave. She slowly got out of the bed, but only to sit at the end of it. She toyed with her ring. It was a small thing, barely big enough to fit on her pinkie finger. There was a teardrop-shaped crystal in the center with a silver band. It was a gift from her father on her tenth birthday, and she had worn it since. She didn't know what to do with herself. It's like her parents, the people she knew and loved, were dead, and these false candy copies were taking their place, like a story her mother used to tell her. A candy maker's daughter died, and instead of mourning and moving on, he made a marzipan statue of her, and pretended that it was his real daughter. A few weeks later, a friend of his came in to find him laying at the feet of the statue, dead. She always had wondered why her parents made such an emphasis on candy, and she guessed that this was why. She wondered why her mother had wanted her to be raised normally. Then she realized something, but before she could think more about her realization, she heard someone coming, and looked up at an elderly man, dressed in a sharp black suit.  
"Hello miss, I am Master Batman's butler, Alfred. Do you need anything?" he asked and Charlotte nodded slightly.  
"A water would be nice." she said, and Alfred nodded.  
"Very good, I'll be right back." he exited the Batcave, and Charlotte looked over at Batman and Robin, who were looking at the screen intently. Charlotte sighed. She had a choice to make. She analyzed the facts, and her memories. She wondered, sipping the water that Alfred had brought, what would happen if she became evil? What would happen if she became good? Would she fight alongside her parents, or the Dynamic Duo? She continued along this train of thought for hours, deep in thought, until Robin came over.  
"Hey." he said, sitting in a chair next to her bed.  
"Hello," she said nervously. "I have a question to ask you."  
"Shoot." said Robin, smirking.  
"What would happen if I became good?" she asked, twisting the small ring around her finger.  
"Well, Bats would probably let you join in on the Dynamic Duo, train you and such. Don't you take gymnastics?" he asked, and she started.  
"Yes, almost since I could walk. What does that have to do with anything?" she asked, and Robin raised his eyebrows.  
"It has to do with everything. Knowing gymnastics means that your body is already decently fit, and you are very flexible. I used to be an acrobat, but now I work with Batman. You've no idea how much knowing acrobatics has saved my sorry ass during our crusades." he explained, and Charlotte mulled over that information.  
"Anyway, just came over to say goodnight." he said, and brushed her cheek with his gloved hand. He turned and left, leaving a blushing Charlotte to continue with her decision.

Meanwhile, Candy was returning from her life of crime. She stopped at an abandoned warehouse to change out of her wig and tutu, and into her civilian clothes. She walked up to the front door of her home and unlocked it. Stepping inside, she called,  
"Charlotte! I'm home!"  
No response. That was unusual. She usually came rushing down the stairs. Maybe she was asleep. Candy waltzed up the staircase, checking Charlotte's room. Empty. She caught sight of the door to her room open, and the light on. She walked into her room, and saw the open trapdoor. She stopped in her tracks, blood draining from her face. She rushed down the ladder and into the lair. Nothing. No Charlotte. No nobody, exept the dummy chained in the corner. It was a crash test dummy dressed like a person, so ST could test his inventions. Oh god... Could she have thought it was a body? Candy, placed a hand against the wall, trying not to panic. She scaled the ladder again, and searched the entire house from top to bottom. No sign of life anywhere, except for the cat. It was a small grey thing that Charlotte had gotten for her 8th birthday. She had named it Salazar, after someone from Harry Potter. Candy remembered the look on Charlotte's face when they brought it in the house, and started crying. Her baby was gone. Ran away. Because of her. Her and ST. He hadn't wanted a child at all, but stayed. She was grateful for that. She was the one who had requested that Charlotte live a normal life, but agreed to continue with their life of crime. It was their fault. They were the only ones to blame. She collapsed in Charlotte's room, sobbing. She remained like this until ST came up the stairs, and found her crying.  
"What happened, Sugar Baby?" he asked, rubbing her back.  
"I-I came h-home from the  
r-robbery, and the t-t-trap door was open and now our B-baby's _g-gone_." she wailed, and Sweet Tooth sighed. He loved his daughter, but not as much as Candy did. Charlotte was Candy's world. He picked her up, and brought her upstairs, kicking the trapdoor closed with his foot. He put Candy to bed. She was too much of a mess to protest. He got in bed next to her, and they both waited for sleep to come.

-

AN: Well then. This came as a surprise to me too. Sweet Tooth just sort of asserted himself as a caring, not jerkish guy. I had to re-write that last part quite a bit. Also, the cat thing was a bit of extra detail, dunno why it ended up being that much a part of the story. Anyway, Review!

-HMST


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Rise of the Phoenix

AN: woot! Decision made! Read on, friends!

Disclaimer: Not repeating myself...

-

Charlotte awoke the next morning, unaware of where she was. Then she remembered. Her parents were super villains, and now she had to make a decision on whether to fight with them, or Batman. She thought over all of the things she had learned yesterday, and it was obvious what she should do. Her parents, the people she had trusted, the people she had loved, were dead. In their place, villains, intent on destroying every speck of innocent life. She got out of the bed, and noticed Batman at his computer.  
"Mr. Batman?" she said, coming to stand next to him. He looked up from his work.  
"Have you decided?" he asked, and Charlotte nodded.  
"I have."  
"Then what is your descision?"  
"I choose—" but before she could finish, Robin jumped from the entrance of the Batcave to where we were standing and exclaimed,  
"Hold on! What the spell is going on here?" Charlotte giggled slightly at the reference, and Robin smiled.  
"No seriously, what's going on?" asked Robin, looking at Batman through his mask.  
"She was telling me her decision." said Batman, and and Robin sobered immediately.  
"What's your decision?" asked Robin, and Charlotte squared her shoulders.  
"I choose to fight against my pa— I mean, I choose to fight against the villains." she said, struggling not to call them her parents. Batman nodded. Robin grinned.  
"You're going to need an  
alter-ego." Batman said, and Charlotte nodded. She thought about it, and smiled.  
"Phoenix." she said, and Robin smiled.  
"Phoenix, eh? Nice." he said.  
"Hey Bats? Since Charlotte is working with us, can we give her our secret identities?" he asked, and in answer, Batman took off his cowl, running his hand through his dark hair.  
"You're Bruce Wayne!" Charlotte exclaimed, and Robin took of his mask to reveal "Dick Grayson!"  
"In the flesh!" he said, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously.  
"You're going to need a costume." Bruce said, and Charlotte nodded.  
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but Phoenixes are scarlet and gold, right?" Dick said.  
"Yep. Harry Potter fan?" she asked, and he grinned.  
"Yes. What house on Pottermore?" he asked. She paused for a moment before replying. "Slytherin. You?"  
"Ravenclaw. Never took you for a snake. Looks can be deceiving." he said, and Charlotte smiled.  
"So you aren't against Slytherin house?" She asked.  
"Nope." he asked, and Charlotte beamed.  
"Awesome. You get so much shit from everyone who still believes that all Slytherins are destined to be the next You-Know-Who." she said, and Dick nodded.  
Bruce interrupted the exchange.  
"How does this look?" he asked, pointing to an image on the screen. There was a costume. It was mostly scarlet, but there were gold streaks all down it, like a flourish of a pen. It was skintight, and a small gold mask concealed her eyes. There were gold boots, which looked very comfortable and stylish. The gloves were red, but the fingertips were gold. There was a little utility belt, and on it was a small figure of a bird with flames trailing from its wings. There was a small red-and-gold cape, extending to her mid-thighs. It looked glorious, like it was going to burst into flames at any second.  
"That is amazing. Did you do that while we were talking?" she asked, and he nodded.  
Dick looked amused at his mentor's design skills.  
"One question, Bruce. Where is Charlotte going to stay? She can't go back to her parents, that's for sure." Dick said, and Charlotte looked surprised. She hadn't thought of that either.  
"I suppose she can stay here." said Bruce, and Charlotte beamed.  
"Awesome! Can I show her around the manor?" he asked, and Bruce nodded again. He grabbed her wrist, and they ran, laughing, from the Batcave. Bruce smiled. Dick was, despite all of his attitude, a child. Charlotte would be good for him. She was still a young soul, although somewhat aged by the recent events. Bruce sent the suit designs to Alfred. He would make sure that it was constructed to the letter. He sat back in his chair, allowing himself a small smile. Happiness can come from the most unlikely things, he thought, and took a sip of coffee that Alfred had left out for him.  
Dick and Charlotte had went upstairs, stopping in front of two doors.  
"You can stay in this room, it's next to mine." Dick said, pushing open an oak door. Inside of the room was decorated in blues and silvers. The walls were a light blue, and the furniture was white. A desk sat in a corner, complete with a bright green lamp to give a pop of color, and a full bed dominated another corner, the bedspread being a dark ocean blue. A large window, complete with a window seat, overlooked a forest and a fantastic sunset.  
"Wow." she said, looking over the space.  
"Do you like it?" Dick asked, and Charlotte nodded.  
"I wish I had all my stuff from my old house though, I had quite a book collection. That bookcase looks so lonely." she said wistfully, gazing over towards a magnificent white bookcase with silver-colored shelves.  
"That sucks. Maybe when you are trained, we can go back." Dick said, and Charlotte grinned.  
"Well, it's almost 9, I'm going to head to bed. Goodnight Charlotte." he said, smiling shyly and walking out of the room. Charlotte collapsed onto the window seat, looking out on the scenery. A flock of birds arose from the trees, and she turned away from the setting sun. Charlotte climbed into bed, finding that it was extremely comfy. She turned off the lamp, and fell asleep. Her last thought was _This room looks like a Ravenclaw designed it..._

-

AN: There you have it. Phoenix is born. And yes, after the secret identities are revealed, they have a conversation about Harry Potter. Tough noogies, they're nerds. (in a good way.) Besides, I am actually in Slytherin. Now for Dick, I had trouble. He is definitely a Gryffinclaw, if i ever saw one. Placed him in Ravenclaw because of the Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry, and even though it doesn't really matter, I care. Also, did you like the colors for Charlotte's room? That's what I'm planning on doing mine in. Right now it's pink and orange, reflecting an earlier version of myself, who was a major prep. (no offense to anyone) Anyway, review!

-HMST


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Training

AN: Yay! Charlotte begins training. I honestly don't know anything about training regimens, except for a brief stint of gymnastics as a child, so excuse me if my information is inaccurate. Don't try anything at home.

Disclaimer: Oh alright, fine. I don't own Batman, starkid, or anything else you recognize.

A few days after Charlotte started living with them, the suit was finally finished. She gazed at it in awe, remarking over the small details. She loved it. Charlotte put on the suit, loving the silky feel, and walked into the Batcave.  
"How do I look?" she asked, striking a pose and laughing.  
" So the suit is finished?" Dick asked, looking up from his book. and Charlotte nodded. Bruce looked at her, and said,  
" Training will start tomorrow at 8."  
And with that comment, he exited the Batcave. Charlotte grinned, and left the Batcave as well. Dick marked a page in his book, and followed them.  
"So what will I be learning?" Charlotte asked, as Bruce walked into his study.  
"What you need to learn." he said, and Charlotte nodded, slightly miffed at the lack of detail. Dick, noticing her frustration, patted her shoulder, and whispered,  
"Don't worry, he's always this cryptic." Charlotte smiled eagerly. She couldn't wait until tomorrow.

At 7:58, Charlotte arrived in the Batcave in her suit. Batman and Robin were already there, waiting.  
"First lesson: 15 minutes early is on time, and on time is late."  
(AN: that is chorus rule #1. Ms. Renoll swears by it.) Batman said, and Charlotte blushed. He led her into a room filled with workout equipment, a trapeze, and some gymnastic equipment.  
"First, I will analyze your strength," Batman said, and Charlotte nodded. "Climb that rope over there, just using your arms." he said, pointing to a rope that was hanging down from the ceiling. Charlotte nodded again, and started climbing. She made pretty steady progress,reaching the top in about 10 minutes. Charlotte slid down the rope, her gloves protecting her from rope burn.  
"Not bad, but there is always room for improvement." said Batman, and the training continued.  
At the end of the day, Charlotte was exhausted, but pleasantly so. She had performed well, she thought, and thought over the day. After she had climbed the rope, Batman had educated her in basic combat, and she had shown off her gymnastic skills. Batman had said that in a few weeks if he deemed her ready, then she would go on patrol with him and Robin. She was very excited about this, and could not wait.

For the next 4 weeks, training consumed her entire existence. She trained... and trained... and trained. Her training was harder than anything she had experienced, but her drive to separate herself from the identity of a super villain's daughter was her encouragement. She tried her hardest, and swore that she would not associate with villains ever again.  
-

AN: Awesome! Love how the story is heading. Super cute scene coming next chapter! Review!

-HMST


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Trapeze

AN: Warning! Fluffiness! I don't really think that you need a warning for that, but who knows? Also, i don't know anything about trapeze either, so don't attack me if I'm wrong. Anyway, read on!

Disclaimer: I said it twice, and more than twice would not be nice.

After 2 weeks, she walked in the cave one day, and saw Robin standing next to the trapeze. Batman was nowhere in sight.  
"Where is Batman?" Phoenix asked.  
"Had to go over to Wayne industries today for an important meeting. He told me that I could teach you acrobatics today!"Robin said, and Phoenix beamed.  
" Awesome! I've always wanted to learn that, but the nearest lessons were an hour away."  
"Well, here's your chance!" Robin exclaimed, and they climbed up to where the trapeze was held in place. He released it from the tie that was keeping it from swinging, and held it out in front of him.  
"I'm going to show you the basic swing, and then you'll try. Ok?" he said, and Phoenix nodded. Robin stepped off of the platform, swung to the other side, and landed neatly on the other platform.  
"Real simple," he called. "Here you go! Catch!" he said, and let the trapeze swing over toward Phoenix. She grabbed it, took a deep breath, and looked down. The net looked very flimsy from up here, she thought.  
"I don't know if I can do it!" she yelled over to Robin.  
"Yes you can! The hardest part is stepping off, and then you just fly over here!" he yelled back. She looked back down, and took another breath.  
"Charlotte! You can do it." he said, and she stepped off the platform. Immediately, she was exhilarated. She felt as if she were flying. Her hair and cape streamed behind her, and she approached the other platform. Robin grabbed her waist, and stopped her from going back the other direction.  
"Wow." she breathed, and Robin grinned.  
"Let's try a trick or two, shall we?" he asked, and Phoenix nodded excitedly.  
"So the first thing we are going to try is I'm going to swing across, and you are going to take this bar," he said, handing a bar that was lashed around the pole, "and swing towards me. Then, you are going to let go," he said, grinning at her look of terror, "And I will catch you." Phoenix grimaced.  
"You promise you'll catch me?" she asked, and Robin nodded seriously. He took the trapeze that they had just used, and swung to the other side.  
"Now when I say go, you're going to step off, and when I say let go, you're going to do that, ok?" Robin said, and Phoenix sighed. She grabbed the bar, and Robin grinned.  
"Three... Two... One... Go!" he said, and they jumped. Just when the trapezes were at the ascension point of their arcs, Robin exclaimed, "Let go!" and she did. For a moment, she was flying completely unsupported, and then her hands wrapped around Robin's. They made eye contact, and the sparkle in his eyes told her that he was having the time of his life. Robin looked into Phoenix's eyes, and she was excited and a bit frightened, but all of that was overshadowed by an overwhelming sense of joy. They remained like this until the trapeze came to a halt.  
"Now here's the fun part." he said, and Phoenix beamed excitedly.

"What's the fun part?" she asked, and in response, Robin let go. Phoenix fell, screaming as she went. She hit the net, and when she stopped bouncing, yelled,  
"You bastard! At least give me a warning!" but there was no malice in her words. She was simply surprised.  
"Here I come!" he yelled, and she moved over a bit. He let go, and landed next to her. His impact bounced them up, and somewhere, their hands found each other. They lay like that, holding hands, until Robin exclaimed,  
"Let's do that again!" Phoenix giggled, and they continued their lessons. She learned a lot about how to hold herself as she was swinging from something.  
"It's not a lot different from grappling hooks, but with one hand." he explained, and when Bruce arrived in the Batcave, he came in on a "rather fantastic trick" as Robin had put it. It was the hardest thing Phoenix had learned all day, but she has pretty much got it down. When they were finished, Bruce smiled and clapped. Phoenix and Robin looked over to where he was standing, startled.  
"Phoenix, I think you're ready." he said.  
"Really?" she asked, hoping beyond hope that he wasn't joking.  
"Really." he said. Phoenix let out a loud whoop, and she looked at Robin, who nodded. They both took a bar, and swung at the same time. He reached forward, grabbed the second bar with one hand, and her arm with the other. He moved on the bar so he was hanging on with his knees, and grabbed her other hand. At the height of the arc, they both let go, did a flip, and dropped towards the net. Right before they hit the net, they joined hands and turned so they would hit the net feet first. They bounced off of the net, coming back up into the air, did another flip, and landed back on the net, laughing.

AN: That was adorable. I'm really proud of that chapter. Anyway, next chapter, they go on patrol! Woohoo!

-HMST


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7: Trapeze

AN: Warning! Fluffiness! I don't really think that you need a warning for that, but who knows? Also, i don't know anything about trapeze either, so don't attack me if I'm wrong. Anyway, read on!

Disclaimer: I said it twice, and more than twice would not be nice.

After 2 weeks, she walked in the cave one day, and saw Robin standing next to the trapeze. Batman was nowhere in sight.  
"Where is Batman?" Phoenix asked.  
"Had to go over to Wayne industries today for an important meeting. He told me that I could teach you acrobatics today!"Robin said, and Phoenix beamed.  
" Awesome! I've always wanted to learn that, but the nearest lessons were an hour away."  
"Well, here's your chance!" Robin exclaimed, and they climbed up to where the trapeze was held in place. He released it from the tie that was keeping it from swinging, and held it out in front of him.  
"I'm going to show you the basic swing, and then you'll try. Ok?" he said, and Phoenix nodded. Robin stepped off of the platform, swung to the other side, and landed neatly on the other platform.  
"Real simple," he called. "Here you go! Catch!" he said, and let the trapeze swing over toward Phoenix. She grabbed it, took a deep breath, and looked down. The net looked very flimsy from up here, she thought.  
"I don't know if I can do it!" she yelled over to Robin.  
"Yes you can! The hardest part is stepping off, and then you just fly over here!" he yelled back. She looked back down, and took another breath.  
"Charlotte! You can do it." he said, and she stepped off the platform. Immediately, she was exhilarated. She felt as if she were flying. Her hair and cape streamed behind her, and she approached the other platform. Robin grabbed her waist, and stopped her from going back the other direction.  
"Wow." she breathed, and Robin grinned.  
"Let's try a trick or two, shall we?" he asked, and Phoenix nodded excitedly.  
"So the first thing we are going to try is I'm going to swing across, and you are going to take this bar," he said, handing a bar that was lashed around the pole, "and swing towards me. Then, you are going to let go," he said, grinning at her look of terror, "And I will catch you." Phoenix grimaced.  
"You promise you'll catch me?" she asked, and Robin nodded seriously. He took the trapeze that they had just used, and swung to the other side.  
"Now when I say go, you're going to step off, and when I say let go, you're going to do that, ok?" Robin said, and Phoenix sighed. She grabbed the bar, and Robin grinned.  
"Three... Two... One... Go!" he said, and they jumped. Just when the trapezes were at the ascension point of their arcs, Robin exclaimed, "Let go!" and she did. For a moment, she was flying completely unsupported, and then her hands wrapped around Robin's. They made eye contact, and the sparkle in his eyes told her that he was having the time of his life. Robin looked into Phoenix's eyes, and she was excited and a bit frightened, but all of that was overshadowed by an overwhelming sense of joy. They remained like this until the trapeze came to a halt.  
"Now here's the fun part." he said, and Phoenix beamed excitedly.

"What's the fun part?" she asked, and in response, Robin let go. Phoenix fell, screaming as she went. She hit the net, and when she stopped bouncing, yelled,  
"You bastard! At least give me a warning!" but there was no malice in her words. She was simply surprised.  
"Here I come!" he yelled, and she moved over a bit. He let go, and landed next to her. His impact bounced them up, and somewhere, their hands found each other. They lay like that, holding hands, until Robin exclaimed,  
"Let's do that again!" Phoenix giggled, and they continued their lessons. She learned a lot about how to hold herself as she was swinging from something.  
"It's not a lot different from grappling hooks, but with one hand." he explained, and when Bruce arrived in the Batcave, he came in on a "rather fantastic trick" as Robin had put it. It was the hardest thing Phoenix had learned all day, but she has pretty much got it down. When they were finished, Bruce smiled and clapped. Phoenix and Robin looked over to where he was standing, startled.  
"Phoenix, I think you're ready." he said.  
"Really?" she asked, hoping beyond hope that he wasn't joking.  
"Really." he said. Phoenix let out a loud whoop, and she looked at Robin, who nodded. They both took a bar, and swung at the same time. He reached forward, grabbed the second bar with one hand, and her arm with the other. He moved on the bar so he was hanging on with his knees, and grabbed her other hand. At the height of the arc, they both let go, did a flip, and dropped towards the net. Right before they hit the net, they joined hands and turned so they would hit the net feet first. They bounced off of the net, coming back up into the air, did another flip, and landed back on the net, laughing.

AN: That was adorable. I'm really proud of that chapter. Anyway, next chapter, they go on patrol! Woohoo!

-HMST


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Of Death Traps and Press Crowds

AN: Chapter 9! Yay! I'm hoping this chapter is a bit funnier than previous chapters. enjoy!

Disclaimer: Geezus, how thick can you get? Last time you're going to here this. I do not own Batman, or Redvines, or anything else you recognize. Happy?

-  
Precisely eight days after Phoenix started going out on regular patrol, Batman was injured. Killer Croc had broken his right arm, and he was forced to stay in the Batcave and let Robin and Phoenix go out on patrol. He was in contact with them with earpeices, so they weren't alone. They made their way along the usual route, pausing twice to stop two muggings. Near the end of patrol, Batman exclaimed,  
"Sweet Tooth and Poison Ivy have collaborated to make Redvine killer plants that they've planted all around City Hall! You guys need to get there immediately!"  
The duo stopped running across rooftops and quickly changed direction towards City Hall.  
"I know this will be tough for you, Phoenix. But you can't let Sweet Tooth get to you. He doesn't know that it's Charlotte under that mask, so hinting at it will just reveal your identity. All I'm saying is, just watch yourself, okay?" Robin said, as they made their way towards city hall.  
"I know, and I will, but it's just so hard, you know?" Phoenix said, her voice hitching.  
"I know. But you have to stay strong, because now is not the time for an emotional scene where I would end up comforting you, and jump-starting our inevitable relationship." Robin said, and Phoenix nodded.  
"Yeah, maybe next chapter." she said, and they stopped right in front of City Hall, which was surrounded by Sour Patch Kids and Redvine plants.

(AN: Ron Weasley would totally buy one of those plants, despite the Devil's Snare tendencies. I guess he'd just eat it all.)

They looked at each other, and began a complicated maneuver that took out every single thing in their path, be it SPK's (sour patch kids) or Redvine plants, and eventually used one of the SPK's as a springboard, landing them both outside the doors.  
"That was really cool. Remind me to coordinate defense sessions like that when we get back to the Batcave." said Robin, and Phoenix grinned.  
"Duly noted, partner." she said, and they strode into City Hall. The scene that met their eyes was confusing at best. Sweet Tooth and Candy were arguing in a corner, and Poison Ivy was lounging, bored, on a water lily in the fountain.  
"Ahh, Robin and Phoenix." Ivy said, stepping off of the lily and snapping her fingers towards the arguing couple, who immediately quieted and walked over to them.  
"Hello bird brains! My friend Joker has taken the liberty of telling me all about you, Ms. Phoenix." he said, a deranged grin slipping on his face, like a bar of soap slips from your hands.  
"Well since you've already heard of me, we can cut to the chase. What is the purpose of this villainy?" Phoenix asked, gesturing back at the large barricade of SPK's and candy plants.  
"Well, since you and Bats put the Joker in Arkham, AGAIN, we thought we'd give you the 'Welcome To Gotham' special! A double serving of MURDER AND CRIME!" Sweet Tooth yelled, and dropped a powdered sugar grenade, effectively covering everyone except him, Candy, and Poison Ivy, who had been raised up at the last second by SPK's who were in the rafters.  
"Ugh, this sucks!" said Robin, wiping the powder off of his face, and attempting to shake some out of his hair. Phoenix coughed, and the sugar came clouding out of her mouth and nose. She had unfortunately been inhaling when the sugar bomb went off.  
"I could really go for a glass of water right now!" she croaked, and Robin grimaced. He took off his cape and used it to blow air her way, and effectively got some of the sugar off of her. They heard a slight whistling noise, and looked up.  
"Is that what I think it is?" Phoenix asked, and Robin nodded, blanching.  
"Yes that's right, liquid candy water balloons, mixed with a_ lot_ of acid! Let's see how you look with holes burned through you, shall we?" said Sweet Tooth, and Candy giggled that annoying little giggle.  
"Shit!" Phoenix yelled. "How the hell are we going to get out of this one?" Robin thought for a second, looking up at the rapidly approaching death candy, and got an idea.  
"Hold on to me!" he said and Phoenix stared at him. Was he going crazy?  
"What?" she said, and then saw his train of thought. "_Ooh_." She wrapped him in a strong hug, and he grappled up to a rafter away from the one the villains were on.  
"Next time, just don't question it. Even if it's extremely awkward." Robin said, his heart racing at their narrow escape. Phoenix nodded, and looked over at the villains. Sweet Tooth and Candy looked a bit disappointed that they lived, and Ivy was still bored. They swung bolas at the villains, and effectively tripped them to lay on the rafters, narrowly avoiding falling off. Once they got over there, they handcuffed the villains, and left them there. The SPK's had ran off, and the duo wasn't going to go chasing after 30+ henchman who had probably all run off in different directions. They waited until the cops arrived, doing a bit of target practice with the batarangs and the Redvine plants until the police arrived.  
"Good work you two." said commissioner Gordon, and they accepted his praise. There was an army of press outside the yellow tape, all clamoring for an interview.  
"Let's have a little fun, shall we?" Robin asked, and they walked over to the reporters and journalists.  
"Hello Robin, Vicki Vale here from Channel seven, and my viewers want to know, who is this young lady right here?" a woman asked, shoving a microphone in his face. He lightly pushed it over to Phoenix. The crowd grew quiet, wanting to hear what she had to say.  
"I am Phoenix." she said, and Vicki Vale asked  
"And are you working with Batman and Robin, or are you a separate hero?" Phoenix looked at Robin, who nodded. She turned back to the camera and said  
"Yes, I am working with them, and I just wanted to say to all of the criminals, and villains, and scum watching this newscast, I want to tell them that we will be watching, and when you commit a crime, we will be waiting." she said, her eyes cold, and Robin pulled the mike back toward him.  
"Batman would like me to say that even though he is still recovering from an injury and could not be here, he agrees 100% with Phoenix's words, and told me to tell you that, and I quote, 'I am vengeance.' That was a direct quote, there's an earpeice in my ear right now. Anyway, we must be going, lovely chat. Bye all!" Robin said, delivering a dashing smile, and linked arms with Phoenix.  
"Wait!" yelled one reporter. "Are you and Phoenix together?"  
Robin paused, turned his head, and said.  
"Not yet." and with that, they grappled away from the crowd.

-  
AN: What a loverly way to end the chapter, if I do say so myself. A few random tidbits about this chappy:  
When I was writing the part when Batman explains what the villains are doing and says 'you guys need to get there immediately!' well the first time I wrote it, I wrote y'all. It took me like, forever to realize, and once I did, I lol'ed for about 10 minutes. Imagine Batman saying "y'all." That's some funny shit. Anyway, review!

-HMST


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: In the Midst of Tragedy, Love

AN: Remember last chapter, when I sort of hinted at an emotional comfort scene that jump started a relationship? Well, HERE YA GO!

Disclaimer: NOT SAYING IT.  
y'all are worse than Gryffindors.

-

The pair grappled away, and landed on a nearby rooftop. Phoenix sat down against the edge of the building, putting her arms around her legs.  
"Are you ok?" Robin asked, sitting next to her. In response, she started crying softly.  
"Yeah, I-it's just k-kinda hard to put on a h-happy face and look your s-super villain parents in the eye, you know? To know that they've kept everything from you, but you're giving them so much pain by leaving. I know that I made the right decision by coming to live with you and Batman, but I can't help but wonder how they're doing? What do they think I did? That I ran away? That I might be... d-dead?" Phoenix started sobbing in earnest now, and Robin pulled her into a hug.  
"Shh, it's okay. At least you know your parents are alive. My parents are dead, and have been for quite a while." he said, and Phoenix looked at him, wide eyes leaking tears.  
"How?" she asked. Robin sighed, and began his story.  
"When I was a little boy, my parents and I worked for the circus. We were acrobats. Obviously, or I wouldn't know trapeze. Anyway, a local mob boss began bothering the circus. His name was Tony Zucco. Zucco demanded we give him money. He was very persistent, and my parents always said no. Eventually, he broke into the ring right before the circus began, disguised as a worker. He loosened the bolts on the trapeze. We were the first act to go, and my parents were performing their best trick, the Greyson Dive, right when the bolts popped free, and they fell." Phoenix looked up at him, her eyes still streaming tears.  
"Didn't they have a net?" she asked.  
"No. We preferred to do stunts without a net, something of a 'thrill factor'. I ask myself, time and time again, why we didn't use a net that night. The subject came up, the day before, because when we were rehearsing, I nearly fell, but I told them, I persuaded them to not use the net, that it was a one time thing. It was my fault. _My_ _fault_. I go over that night in my mind, repeatedly, and think of what I could have done differently. No success. It's my own damn fault." Robin said, as he started crying. They comforted each other, until a clock in the main square rang midnight. They had sufficiently cried themselves out.  
"It felt really good to get that off my chest." said Robin, and Phoenix nodded.  
"Agreed." their hands found each other.  
"Let's head back to the Batcave, shall we?" said Robin. Phoenix nodded, and they headed home, holding hands the entire way. Once back in the Batcave, Alfred met them in the main house, saying that  
"Master Bruce has gone to bed. He retired shortly after your talk with the press. Kept muttering about 'not yet' Silly fellow. Well, goodnight then, Master Richard, Miss Charlotte." The duo said goodnight to the butler, and once in the hallway, Charlotte leaned against the wall, and Dick hissed  
"Shit! Now what?"  
"I don't know, how about we um, act like it never happened?"  
"But what if I wanted it to happen?"  
"Wh-what do you mean?"  
"I think you know."  
He came closer to her, their faces mere inches apart.  
"Dick, I—"  
Interrupting her statement, Dick pressed his lips on hers. She melted into the kiss, and it held a tender heat to it, like a match being struck. But then the match was lit to a fuse, and then came fireworks. They kissed for what seemed like hours, but was in reality, about a minute. Charlotte had to break for a breath.  
"So Charlotte," said Dick, grinning slightly.  
"Yes?" she asked.  
"Would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" he asked, and Charlotte nodded, beaming.  
"Yes, yes I will."  
They kissed again, and then headed up towards their rooms, holding hands.  
"Good night, Charlotte." said Dick, opening his door.  
"Good night, Dick." she said, doing the same. They both started to close their doors.  
"Oh, and Charlotte?" said Dick. Charlotte opened her door.  
"Yes Dick?" she asked.  
"You're beautiful when you beat up criminals." Dick said, mentally slapping himself. _'WTF, trollbrain?_' He thought, as Charlotte giggled.  
"Thanks, I think." she said. _'he thinks I'm beautiful!'_ she thought.  
"Well, goodnight!" said Dick.  
"Goodnight!" Charlotte exclaimed, closing the door gently. Charlotte turned away from the door, and put her hands over her mouth. She walked over to her bed, and fell into it, smiling like she had just won the lottery. She was dating Dick Greyson. She was _DATING_ Dick Greyson! And he had called her beautiful! Albeit he had phrased it around 'beautiful when beating up criminals' the sentiment was still there. She fell asleep smiling, happy that in the midst of tragedy, came love.

-Moonwhile, In Dick Greyson's room-

Dick closed his door, grinning like an idiot. He had a girlfriend. Who was the daughter of one of Batman's worst enemies. But it would be okay. She would stay in Wayne Manor, and never go back to those villains. He jumped onto his bed, his limbs splayed out across the sheets. Dick looked out at the night sky. _'Thank you mom and dad' _he thought, and fell asleep smiling.

-  
AN: DAWWWW! Such romance! I really hope I did a good job on this chapter, I've never actually had a good relationship. I've just been taking advice from books and movies. Anyway, REVIEW!

-HMST


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Trees, Pancakes and Confessions

AN: Hey guys! Super sorry about the lack-of-update… long story short… DOCTOR WHO… Oh my Rowling, love that show so much… Anyway, chapter 11! This is probably the most I've ever put into a story.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything except Charlotte.

The next morning, Charlotte woke up to sun streaming through the window. She stretched, yawned, and looked at the clock beside her bed. 6:43 Lovely morning, she thought. There was a soft knock on the door. Charlotte looked at the door. She wondered who that could be.  
"Just a minute!" she called, and threw on a housecoat. She opened the door to see an excited-looking Dick dressed in workout clothes.  
"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go jogging around the grounds with me?" he asked, and Charlotte grinned.  
"Of course! Just wait for me to get ready. I'll only be a minute or two. Dick nodded, and she shut the door. Charlotte ran to the bathroom that adjoined her room, and brushed her teeth, hair, and applied minimal makeup. She then dressed in what she considered suitable jogging clothes, which consisted of yoga pants and a t-shirt. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail, and looked in the mirror. 'You look gorgeous!' Charlotte told herself, grinned, and left the room. Dick was waiting at the end of the hall. She skipped over to him, (AN: picture Luna Lovegood skipping, except Charlotte's hair is darker.) and they linked arms. "Good morning, beautiful." Dick said, and Charlotte blushed.  
"Good morning." she said.  
"I was thinking we'd have breakfast after our jog, because honestly, it sucks to run on an full stomach." he said.  
"I have to agree with you on that, but when we get back, there'd better be pancakes." Charlotte said, and Dick grinned.  
"A girl after my own heart." he said, and they walked downstairs. Bruce was sitting in the dining room, drinking coffee and reading the paper. They quickly unlinked arms.  
"Good morning Bruce, Charlotte and I are going for a quick jog, we'll be back in half an hour." said Dick, and Bruce nodded absentmindedly. After leaving through the garden entrance, they started out on a paved path.  
"This is a great path! When did Bruce get this done?" asked Charlotte, looking around at the dense-growing forest a few feet away from the path.  
"He didn't. His parents had it done before he was born. They apparently liked taking walks out here." Dick said, and Charlotte nodded, intrigued. They fell into a comfortable silence, jogging at a medium pace.  
"Where does this path lead?" she asked later.  
"It's basically a giant loop-de-loop. It ends the same place it begins. In a few more yards, there is a side path that I discovered a few years ago while walking around here. Ah, here it is." he said, motioning to a small unpaved pathway leading into the forest.  
"Where does it go?" Charlotte asked, and Dick grinned.  
"You'll see." he said, and they walked along the path. After maybe two minutes, they came across a clearing with a river flowing through it. Across the river lay a huge tree. The diameter was probably about the length of Candy's car, and she had a CRV!  
"That is one huge tree." she said, and Dick grinned.  
"Yeah. It's name is Fred." he said, and Charlotte laughed.  
"You named a tree Fred? Why?"  
"Fred Weasley."  
"Oh."  
"Yeah. You want to know the best part about this tree?" he asked.  
"What's the best part?" Charlotte asked.  
"Follow me." he said, and walked onto the tree. He went about 2/3ds of the way across the river, stopped, and turned around, effectively blocking her view. Charlotte looked at him. He looked at her, and then stepped backward, and disappeared.  
"Holy shit!" she exclaimed. There was a large hole in the side of the tree, that formed the shape of a room without a front wall or a ceiling. Dick watched her, amused, as he sat on a plastic chair. There was another next to it.  
"You know there are stairs." he said. Charlotte looked, and found small stairs carved. She stepped down the stairs, and sat in the second chair.  
"How the fuzz did you build this place?" Charlotte asked, looking around. Dick stood up, going over to a rope hanging off the side. He pulled it up, and attached to the end of it was a small red cooler. He opened it, and pulled out two bottles of water. He tossed her one, and she found that it was still cold.  
"The river keeps them cold." he explained, noticing Charlotte's confused glance.  
"To answer your earlier question, I didn't really build this place. I found it. Someone had carved a little niche to sit in, but over time, the wood had rotted. After I cleaned out all of the rot, it was roughly this size, but it needed some leveling. So I borrowed an axe that Alfred had left outside after chopping wood, and expanded the place a bit. I then borrowed two plastic chairs from the toolshed that weren't being used, and a small cooler that was gathering dust in some corner of the pantry. I hang out here quite a bit, when I'm not chasing villains or busy with school. Since the summer arrived, I've been hanging out here more often. Cool, eh?"Dick said, and Charlotte nodded.  
"This is phenomenal!" she said, and Dick grinned. They spent about twenty minutes in the tree, talking and laughing. Eventually, Dick looked at his watch and did a spit-take with the last of his water, causing Charlotte to burst out laughing.  
"it's been twenty-five minutes since we left the house!" he said, and they quickly left the tree room. They walked, then jogged, and eventually flat-out ran for the rest of the path. Thanks to the extensive training that both of them had received, they ran the rest of the way in about 7 minutes. They stopped in the garden to catch their breaths.  
"That—was—fun!" said Charlotte, and Dick nodded, gasping. Eventually, when they could breathe properly, they walked through the garden. About halfway to the door, Dick spied a morning glory in full bloom. He picked it, and put it behind her ear. She blushed, but smiled. They walked through the garden door into the kitchen, and smelled pancakes.  
"What'd I tell you?" Dick said, and they both laughed. They sat down in the dining room, and waited for the food to be served.  
"Hey Alfred?" asked Charlotte, and he stuck his head into the dining room.  
"Yes, Miss?" he asked  
"Where's Bruce?" she asked.  
"He went to the doctors to get his cast removed. That broken arm has apparently healed." he said, and brought out a tray of pancakes.  
"Awesome!" said Dick. "He can patrol with us again!"  
"Well, if you two need anything, I will be dusting in the entrance hall." said Alfred, and left.  
"How are we going to explain our relationship to Bruce?" Charlotte asked, and Dick winced.  
"Honestly, I have no idea." he said, and they thought over it for a moment.  
"We could stage another press interview. After a major fight, just walk over. I'm sure the reporters are clamoring for news on the new super-couple." Charlotte said, but Dick shook his head instantly.  
"That would also tell the crime population, and you can guarantee that the villains will try to use you against me, or vice versa." Dick said.  
"Maybe we can let him walk in on us kissing, or catch us holding hands, or something that will just scream, 'dating couple here'" suggested Dick, and Charlotte nodded thoughtfully.  
"Or, Bruce could get back early from his doctor's appointment and overhear every word you're saying." said Bruce, stepping in the door and leaning against the doorframe, looking stern.  
"Holy shit." said Dick, dropping his fork. Charlotte let out a small squeak.  
"Relax, guys. I'm cool with it." he said, and the couple breathed out a sigh of relief.  
"You scared me, Bruce." said Dick, reaching under the table for his fork.  
"I could tell," he said, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Very smart to not choose the public news option, that would just lead to tragedy." he said, and they nodded. Bruce sat down and speared a pancake with his fork.  
"Just out of interest, how did it happen? I got the 'not yet' bit from the earpiece, and disconnected."  
"We grappled onto a rooftop, I had a bit of an emotional breakdown, and then we ended up comforting each other." said. Charlotte, and Dick continued.  
"Then we went home, and Alfred told us you had gone to bed muttering something about 'not yet' so we automatically thought you knew," he stopped and looked at Charlotte pleadingly, who looked back at him with her eyebrows raised, amused. He sighed, and continued.  
"And after a tense discussion in the hallway, there was a... er, well, there was a, erm, k—"  
"Oh for heaven's sake, we kissed. Is it really that hard to say?" Charlotte intervened, exasperated. Bruce snorted, and Dick blushed.  
"So, yeah. That's how it happened." he said, and Charlotte smiled at Dick. Dick smiled back.  
Bruce watched the two of them, and grinned. They would last, he could tell.  
-

AN: There you have it, folks! Fred the tree was actually based on a smaller tree, named George, that exists in a trail in Quiet Waters park. Thought he should have a twin, so I named this tree Fred. Review!

-HMST


End file.
